


The Gift of Life

by Wordprism



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Cancer, Death, Feels, Love, M/M, Marriage, Roleplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 08:59:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1144069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wordprism/pseuds/Wordprism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He will always live on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gift of Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



Twenty years had passed since the wedding of Scott Summers and James Howlett. It had been twenty years since the birth of their daughter, and nineteen years since the birth of their son. Logan had watched them grow and mature from the young ones they were into fine young adults, also while watching his husband’s charming face gain a few wrinkles and his hair start to turn silver along the edges.

Both children were off in college. They both began their travels in order to study genetic mutations, something that would affect their family tree for generations to come. When Elizabeth left the nest, Scott watched her go with teary eyes that glowed ruby behind his glasses.

It seemed like only yesterday she was brought into the world. Her now matured, sophisticated facial features came from a raven-haired baby with a button nose and big blue eyes. She had always been a good little girl, from her first words to her graduation from high school. Scott still kept the picture of her from the kindergarten piano recital tucked neatly into his wallet. He would never forget how her little claws accidentally slid out in the middle of her piece, causing her to fumble and hit a few wrong notes. She had stared, stunned, for a moment, but after Logan piped up and cheered her on, she began to play once more, that time even better. There was a standing ovation, where everyone in the room clapped for the little mutant who could. The memories were still fresh in the mind of both Scott and Logan. As soon as she was old enough, she would use her tiny claws to help wrap and more importantly, open the Christmas presents. When her baby brother couldn’t cut his steak right, she lent him a hand and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces without being asked. Like all happy memories, there were always some rough patches to balance it out. Scott had to come pick Elizabeth up after she had gotten kicked out of kindergarten for scratching another student’s face who stole her box of crayons right out of her hands. She cried all the way home, but a quick father-daughter ice cream trip solved the problem. Since Elizabeth’s favorite movie was Pixar’s Up, Scott decided he would sit with her on the curb while they ate their ice cream and counted cars that went by.

  
_“You’re red, I’m blue. Okay?” She’d giggled and wiped the ice cream off of her little red lips._

_“Got it,” Scott agreed with a nod as he turned back and pretended not to see any cars. “Hmm… I don’t see any…” He grinned to himself while Elizabeth frantically tried to point out the cars. “Oh, I see them now! Red one!” He laughed and pointed out a car as it whizzed by._

_“Blue one!” Elizabeth yelled and kept score with blades of grass that grew between a crack in the concrete._

_“Red one! Another one! Oh, wait! Another red one!” The actual colors of the three cars were black, blue, and grey._

_Elizabeth furrowed her brows in confusion, until her father’s glasses caught her eye. She narrowed her eyes playfully and poked the edge of the lenses, leaning into his arms. “Hey, that’s cheating!”_

_“Fine, you caught me.” Scott set down his ice cream and took his baby girl into his arms, laughing and cuddling her while they lost track of the cars zooming in front of them._  
  
With Logan’s memory erased previously, he made the most use of this lifetime to regain what he had once lost, especially when it came to his little angel of a daughter.  
  
_“What are these claws for?” Elizabeth had asked, staring at the pencil-length bone claws reaching from her knuckles._

_“Those,” Logan instructed, “are for when any boys come near ya’. You just gotta’ hold them out and-” He began to make a sort of stabbing motion, Scott’s voice forcing him to stop._

_“Logan, we know we can’t go around stabbing little boys now, correct?” Scott inquired playfully with a hint of resolve as he sat down with his daughter and husband._

_“Yeah, yeah. I know,” Logan grumbled and hid his delight when his husband rewarded him with a brief kiss on the lips. Any little thing Scott did made him feel weightless inside. From his plump lips, to the rest of his body, to his attitude, Scott Howlett had Logan Summers head over heels in love._  
  
As Elizabeth grew older, more knowledgeable, it became difficult for Scott and Logan to find some alone time. Logan knew for a fact that Scott would die of embarrassment if his moans and screams woke up anyone in the house at this point. They weren’t that new couple that they used to be, with that ‘Anywhere, Anytime’ intimacy policy. Breaking tables and walls and even roofs, in Scott’s case, used to be nothing other than common for the two of them.

Scott would still cuddle his husband through the night, but with Logan still being so full of life and energy, the differences in their relationship were amplified. They used to sleep undressed, or in boxers, pressed up against or holding each other in some way, shape, or form. Sometimes, they would wake in the middle of the night and somehow find themselves forgetting the need to sleep and remembering the need to show one another how devoted they were. They were a power couple, in all honesty, never letting any of their differences keep an argument going more than a few days, at its worst. So many envied them, but it only fueled their desire to keep the passion alive.

Logan noticed the grey hairs before Scott did. Scott’s head was pressed against Logan’s chest as the sun rose, and the silver strands caught the Canadian’s eye immediately. The man he loved was aging, inevitably, and Logan could do nothing to grow old with him. His so called gift was nothing more than a curse, no matter how often Scott corrected his thinking.  
“Oh no, is that… grey…” Logan heard Scott whisper from the bathroom.

By the age of forty, Scott had drifted. He was ashamed with the idea that his aging body and skin was nothing in comparison to his husband, who still looked in his late twenties. Logan reassured him a countless number of times that he was still the same, gorgeous man, but Scott wouldn’t have any of it. Whenever Logan tried to get close with him, whisper something dirty to him and get him back to his confident self, Scott merely shrank back further into the shadows. The mutant leader would still kiss his husband good morning and hold him at night, but within a few years everything changed. Scott increased the distance between them, his fear of exposing his body to Logan heightening with each passing day. It even grew to the point where Scott would shy away for most of the day out of fear that his husband would try and touch him. The sad part was that he really did want it. He missed those days of Logan being able to bend him over the motorcycle in the garage, throw him up against the wall and start diving in for passionate kisses, but it just didn’t feel right anymore. Scott knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Logan’s breathtaking movements, and all it would do for Scott was lower his self-confidence.

Twenty years into what was considered the ultimate marriage of its time, Logan felt those warm, full lips rested on the back of his neck when he woke up. How he wanted to pick Scott up and make love to him right then and there, but it would surely scare him away. His husband was used to being a perfect specimen: lush, brown hair, neatly pressed clothes, and skin without a blemish to be found. He was too disgusted by the aging process to let Logan see him, but why did that mean there had to be such distance? Maybe Logan could reel him in with beautiful red roses, a night out with just the two of them, or maybe even play the piano for Scott since he loved it so much. “Good mornin’ Sugar… sleep well?” Logan murmured groggily as he flipped over to face his lover.

“Wonderful.” Scott’s eyes flickered with adoration while he planted a tender kiss on Logan’s thirsty lips. The touch lasted a good five seconds, enough to drive Logan crazy with want, hoping maybe this would be the break in their yearlong streak of abstinence. But the moment Logan made the mistake of allowing his southern region to press against Scott’s thigh, the blue-eyed man was up and out of bed. Logan forced himself to disregard the situation down below, as he had for the past year.

Within moments, Scott was downstairs setting up the Danger Room for the morning classes. This room had created so many memories, it was almost too much to bear.

   
_“You think you can train with me without ripping my suit off?” Scott had smirked over at his impatient lover._

_“Well, it’s gotta’ come off ya’ sooner or later… Preferably sooner.”_

_Approximately five minutes of battling virtual sentinels, and approximately two hours of lovemaking followed._  
  
Scott’s train of thought was broken when he heard the ripping of a motorcycle engine as the bike sped away from home. It was Logan. Maybe he was just off running errands or something like that.  
Maybe it was time to give Logan what he wanted for once. He had been patient with Scott’s lack of confidence, but Scott owed him for it. Swapping his shades for contacts, Scott began arranging candles throughout the bedroom and sprinkling dark rose petals all over the bed. Then, he sat backwards on the couch so he could see out the window, unmoving as he awaited his husband’s return.  
Meanwhile, Logan stepped off his bike and entered the strip club, sliding his wedding ring into his pocket. This wasn’t about sex, it was about distance. Not only was Scott unwilling to touch him, but he barely talked to him either. A wad of bills in his pocket, Logan took a seat and waited for one of the voluptuous exotic dancers to catch his eye. Sure enough, a busty brunette in stilettos and red panties leaned out from on the stage, leaning her face so that it almost touched Logan’s.

“So, why are you here, Sugar?” she cooed.

Red was Scott’s color. Sugar was their little nickname. Logan had no idea what he was doing here, drinking and letting women touch him all over. It was wrong, he knew it, but what else was he supposed to do?   
The stripper caught sight of the twenty Logan was rolling in his fingertips. Climbing off the stage expertly, she straddled him and tucked the bill sensually between her breasts, making sure her legs were firmly clamped around his waist. “You must really need a dance, Hon.” She allowed her garments to shift so that almost everything was visible as she began to sway her hips, grinding them down on Logan’s jeans while she nipped at his ear. “You got a name, Sugar?” She continued her movements until Logan responded, glitter and perfume coating his skin while he stared at the woman’s body, his mind clouded with lust. “Logan… That’s a nice name.” She left red lipstick on Logan’s neck, sliding off his jacket and undoing the first several buttons on his shirt to get a good look. “Impressive… Find it hard to believe you don’t have someone, Hon.”

The reality was, Logan did have someone at home. He had someone who earned his love and was more than just a toy. Scott was his shoulder to cry on when nobody else was present, Scott was his soul mate, and Scott was more than he could ever dream of possessing. But right now, Logan knew Scott as someone who couldn’t care less. “Well, I’ve got someone right here and now, don’t I?” Logan slid his fingers underneath the straps of the stripper’s attire to pull her in closer while he cupped her chest in his palm.

She tensed immediately, her eyes going wild with want as she pressed tighter down on the attractive man she hardly knew. “Would you like the dance to be a bit more private?” She nodded her head in suggestion to a closed room across the floor, and Logan followed suit.

He returned home at about four in the morning, minus a belt and a leather jacket. Glitter streaked his skin, his lips and cheeks tinted cherry red. Opening the door as quietly as possible, Logan used the back of his hand to clean off his lips and hopefully leave the cloud of perfume behind him. The silent walk up the stairs was nerve racking. Was Scott asleep by now? Logan had no further time to think before his husband’s voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“You have fun…?” Scott spoke shyly, still gazing out the moonlit window in the same position as when Logan left home.

“Scott…? What’re you doing up?” Logan turned around, moving down a few steps. “I thought you’d have been in bed by now I-…”

“I know, Sugar. I just never thought that this… Please don’t tell me you did what I think you did…”

Logan had no response.

Scott’s was heartbroken, but Logan suppressed any guilt he may have felt. The grief began to pour off in Scott’s scent, something Logan had never smelled so intensely coming from his husband. His hardened gaze softened at the sight of the moonlit lips quivering underneath Scott’s little nose. That smell of grief nearly caused the Canadian to burst into tears and sob for forgiveness for what he had done. It was something he had never done in his entire life but was willing to do if it meant keeping his beloved husband. “I never wanted to hurt you...I just didn't feel like being ignored anymore…” He rushed over to his lover’s side and knelt beside him, placing his own hands down on Scott’s lap before grabbing a hold his hands and intertwining their fingers. “Honey please don't cry...I-I'm sorry...” He kissed the palm of his husband’s hand as a few tears cascaded from his eyes while he shook his head. “I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear...I'd never hurt you on purpose Sweetheart...”

Then, Scott lost it completely. He was simply infuriated by the fact that his husband had allowed some skank to do god knows what. “Get away from me!” He thrust his arms forward and nearly knocked Logan off his own two feet. “You think I’m neglecting you?! Do you ever think that maybe I’m not as into doing things at night with you because I’m older? It’s part of Forever, Logan! Our entire story can’t just be all… things like that! Sometimes I wonder what’s more important in your eyes. Me, or the sex that I give you.”

“You think that's why I did it?” Logan stood up from his kneeling position, shaking his head while he crossed his arms over his chest and swiped at the tears on his cheeks. “Damn Scott...No, I didn't do it for sex Scott. Although I do miss having it, I didn't do it because I'm horny. No, I actually was just feeling down and depressed and figured what the hell? Why not? Scotty wouldn't care anyways, he’s probably waiting to leave my sorry ass from the way he's been avoiding me. I've told you a million times Scott that I'd love you even if I could never touch you again. I ain't a sex addict for God's sake I just wanted someone to actually pay attention! Or fucking maybe even care anymore! Don't you fucking yell at me because you did this to yourself! I never, since the day I married you, ever considered cheating because I wasn't getting any, and I also never thought we'd be drifting away from each other like this! I know you're getting older Scott but so what? I told you I'd love you forever and guess what? Twenty years later, and I'm still goddamn here.”

“I just... I’ve been waiting for it to be like you said. I wanted to sit on the steps while we watched our kids play and grow up, but there was never just you holding me. There had to be more, so that’s why I was gonna try and make you happy tonight but you never came home.” Scott winced as his husband yelled, shaking his head rapidly as if begging him to stop. “I’m sorry I just… Sometimes I think you expect the world to stop like it does for you for everyone else. And it doesn’t, Logan. But I know I deserve it and that’s okay. I have a perfect, wonderful husband and I act like he doesn’t even love me.” He drew in a choked up sniff, his eyes anchored to the ground. “That’s why I was gonna’ try and fix things between us tonight. You know, make it like how we used to be. But, I guess that’s not really an option anymore, is it?”

Logan felt like such a sap as he found himself unable to get any words out. It didn’t matter what the issue at hand was. The fact that he brought his husband to tears was enough to guilt him for the rest of his life. Once again, he cautiously approached Scott and wrapped his arms around his slim waist. “Listen, Summers. You know I love you more than anything. I never meant for this to happen, but I should’ve seen it coming someday. You know if I could take the damn curse away, I would. That way we could age together, because a life without you would be plain misery and loneliness and it certainly ain’t worth living. I’ll figure something out if it makes you feel better, Sugar… I’ll get the cure so I don’t have to go on without you. You know I can’t live without the love of my life.” Logan rested his chin down on his baby’s shoulder, still embracing him protectively. “This isn’t about me being able to touch you. I just don’t want distance between us, Scooter. How am I supposed to enjoy us when I can’t even hold you without making you uncomfortable? If I can’t live in a world where I have you, I’d be living in a world where the only thing keeping me alive is a beating heart that I wish would stop working. I’d be hollow, Scotty…” Logan gazed down upon his husband, running his fingers through the silver strands of moonlit hair that resided on the sides of Scott’s temples.

Scott followed Logan’s fingertips with his eyes as they caressed the lighter hair that gradually faded back to chestnut brown. There was no denying that he wished to be the man that he used to be, but there was simply no changing the course of life. “Don’t call me Summers. It’s Howlett now, remember? You can’t do something stupid like that and cure yourself for me. It’s a gift, Logan. You just have to learn to take it for what it is. That’s how life works. You take the good with the bad. And even if you outlive me, you still have so much to live for. You know, we do have kids that still need you, even if they’re grown and left the nest.”

Furrowing his brows and focusing on how Logan was holding him, he began to feel as if he were his young self again, even if it was just for a moment. “I got the bedroom all ready but you didn’t come home…”

_Scott had returned from a late-night stop to pick up a few cases of beer to restock the fridge. Logan, as usual, finished it all within the week. He had told Scott to run out and get another pack so that he could watch Sunday night football the next day._

_“I’m home, Logan,” Scott called into the dark house, setting down the keys to his bike on the kitchen counter as he made his way into the hallway. No answer. Still holding the package of beer bottles in one hand, Scott ventured into the living room and stopped short, nearly dropping the six-pack on the ground as he did a double take._

_“Wasn’t exactly enough time for me to prepare properly, but I think it’ll do just fine, no?” The dark-haired man stood from the couch, illuminated by flickering candlelight as he casually took the case of beer from his dumbfounded husband and set it down on the coffee table. He seemed even taller in dark, form-fitting pants and a navy silk shirt, with just the upper buttons undone to reveal the slightest trace of chest hair. His facial hair appeared more organized, his wild, dark strands combed back neater than Scott has ever seen._  
  
“What’s all this for?” Scott blinked and surveyed his surroundings, unsure if his imagination was capable of producing such a sight. Not that he didn’t love Logan’s casual style, but this was so unheard of that it left his lips frozen in astonishment.

_“You know exactly what this is for. You know we have to make this special, especially now.” Logan planted a single, inviting kiss onto his husband’s full lips before taking one red rose from behind his back and presenting it against the moonlight. “Now, I want you to go upstairs, and I’ll be there in a moment.”_  
  


Twenty years later, Logan still wanted to hold him the same way. The feral glanced towards the staircase where the bedroom awaited before turning back to his gradually aging husband. “I know, I know you wanted me here, Scott. Never again am I gonna’ walk out without telling you. But you have to remember that our kids need both of us, which is why you need to focus on the here and now. You got it, Sugar?”

With a modest nod, the mutant revolutionist reached out to touch his thumb to Logan’s cheek. There was still glitter dusted through his dark sideburns and cheap perfume tainting his scent. It went from his lips all the way down to past his neck. Scott had no desire to know any further details. His jaw clenched with weak lips as he wet his thumb and cleaned off some of the glitter in a slow, rubbing motion. “You still got a little glitter on ya’.” Thank god for the dark lenses that shielded his eyes.

“Do you still want to go upstairs, Hon?” Logan touched his lips to Scott’s temple in attempt to overcome the guilt that plagued him.

“Sure… I probably have to relight most of the candles up there, but…”

“Come on, Scooter.” Logan fit his lover’s hand snugly in his own before leading him up the staircase they had ascended so many times in the near and distant past.

\------------------------------------

Ten more years came and went, allowing the couple to heal their broken bonds and keep their priorities straight. Intimacy had its surge in the past few years until Scott decided, after much thought, that he would no longer partake in such actions anymore. He set kissing as his limit, and Logan had not a single problem with the offer.

“Can you believe it? Our little baby girl is getting married?” Scott asked as he fixed his husband’s black tie after swapping his own glasses for contacts. Thirty years together, and Logan still hadn’t learned to tie a tie. It amused the both of them and neither could deny it.

“Seems like just yesterday we were changing her diapers and teaching her to walk, no?” Tracing his thumb over Scott’s jaw and looking into his blue eyes, he was able to see the same young man that helped their daughter take her first steps.

_They sat in the living room on opposite ends, Scott supporting his daughter as she stood while Logan sat several feet away with open arms._

_“I’m gonna’ let you go now, and you’re gonna try and make it to Daddy so he can catch you, okay?” Scott brushed a tuft of Elizabeth’s dark hair from her light eyes and nudged her tenderly in the right direction. The video camera was recording from the coffee table as she took her wobbly, first steps._

_“Come on, Darlin’.” Logan held out his hands and watched eagerly as his baby girl toddled in his direction with outstretched arms and brows furrowed with focus. “Oh! You’re almost there! Just a few more steps! And there she is!” He held out his toned arms and watched as his little girl toddled over before falling into his embrace. “You can have extra dessert tonight, Baby Girl.” He gave his husband a genuine smile and with a soft wink, said, “You too.”_  
  


The drive to the church was filled with excitement, the eager attitude only flourishing in the air as Scott pulled Logan inside. “So, where do you think she-”

“Dad!” The beautiful bride threw her arms around Scott’s neck, hugging the life out of him until he winced before pulling back to reveal her flashing, white smile. Her black hair was swirled and pinned up in elaborate curls and twists, her veil not yet draped over her shocking, azure eyes. She was perfect, from her hair, to her lipstick, to her form-fitted ball gown, to her impeccable, heart-warming glow. Her gently curved lips were tinted with a warm shade of red that filled the room with color as she looked towards her parents.

“Well, don’t you look simply gorgeous,” Scott chuckled in pride as he embraced his baby girl, careful of her perfect appearance. “I have never seen a more beautiful bride.” He stepped aside with a smile playing on his lips as the wave of bridesmaids engulfed his daughter. Logan took Scott back into his arms as he watched the flurry of lavender dresses in front of him.

_“Daddy! Daddy!” The sound of little feet in big boots came clomping down the staircase._

_“You alright, Darlin’?” Logan set down his beer and stood from the couch, turning around to find his little girl in his oversized clothes._

_“Look, I’m you Daddy!” She pointed out the combat boots on her feet, the baggy white tank, and the jeans dragging on the floor that her father always wore. The little girl stuck up her arms with a childish growl as her bone claws poked past the long, floppy sleeves of the leather jacket she wore. “I’m gonna be an X-Man just like you!”_

_Logan’s lips slid into a devious grin. “Except you forgot one thing.” Without warning, he scooped up his little girl and spun her around in a loving, playful hold. Her screams of laughter rang in the air for long moments after Logan returned her to a comfy position in his arms. “You gotta’ give me a kiss, first.” He grinned as Elizabeth planted a little kiss on his cheek._

_“Can I be an X-Man now?”_

_“Hmm…” Logan mock contemplated the situation before playfully furrowing his brows. “I think I’m gonna’ need one more.”_

Logan was watching as the swarm of young women tended to Elizabeth’s every little need and request. Laurie Tromette was carefully adjusting the white train of the gown, while Megan held the bouquets, her light pink wings fluttering every here and there. “You look absolutely amazing!” the pink-haired woman exclaimed, handing Elizabeth the bouquet and laughing in amusement. “He won’t be able to get his eyes off you… Or his hands!” The result was an uproar of laughter and flushing faces, leaving Logan with a scowl on his face.

“If he touches her in any way I don’t-”

“Calm, calm…” Scott snickered until his stomach hurt and patted his husband’s tense back. “Calm down. We’re starting soon and I don’t need you killing the groom just yet.”

“Alright, fine.” Logan could never deny when Scott asked something of him, and saying no to those pleading blue eyes was physically impossible. He would babble like an idiot before denying him.

“Don’t you remember when we got married?” Scott sighed in delight as Logan held him closer. “I remember all the crazy planning and preparing we did for that day. It was worth every second.”

Fading in from the distance, the sound of violins and harps wove through the air. “Damn right it was. Oh, look Sugar. Music’s starting. Time to walk our baby girl down the aisle,” Logan whispered, running his fingers through Scott’s hair and leading him towards the doors.

Scott began to follow alongside Logan, ignoring the growing pain spreading throughout his torso. But now, it began to affect his movement. Stopping for a moment to recollect himself, he took several deep breaths and shook his head as if it would rid his body of the feeling. It didn’t stop advancing through his midsection, and within a dangerously short period of time the room began to feel unbearably hot. In fact, it was so hot, Scott could see heat waves radiating off of everything in the room. His vision gradually narrowed into a dark tunnel which left him clinging tighter to Logan’s arm than he intended. And that’s when it happened. His balance swayed from leg to leg, until neither limb combined was enough to keep him standing. He had no idea how it happened, but somehow he had ended up flat on the marble floor. Things went dark for a few minutes, he wasn’t able to tell for how long. There were a few echoes that sounded like screams for help. It was Logan’s voice. He heard pews creaking, which must have meant everyone had crowded to make a scene.

“He’s not…”

“Scott, Damnit, answer me!”

“Laurie, call nine one one!”

When Scott’s eyes slid open, Logan immediately cradled his head on his lap and held his hands against his husband’s pale cheeks. “Scott… Scott answer me! God Damnit, where’s the ambulance?!” The dark-haired man yelled in frustration and agony, his heart slamming in his cranium and pushing the tears out of his eyes. “Say something Scott! For the love of God, Scooter! Please!”

Scott’s vision finally stabilized, leaving him with the sight of a worried crowd gathered around. His eyes filled with shame at the thought he had single-handedly destroyed the happiness of his daughter’s wedding.

“Dad?!” Elizabeth was on her knees beside Logan, her heels sounding against the marble floor until she reached the center of the commotion. “What happened?! Dad, answer me, please!” Her features were purely horrified, her hands and lips quivering just as much as Logan’s. Her groom followed suit, standing right behind his bride before opening the doors for the paramedics, who wheeled in a stretcher and immediately cleared a portion of the room so they could get to their patient.

“Any knowledge of heart disease, injury, low blood pressure?” questioned a paramedic as he shined a flashlight into Scott’s pupils.

“N-no… No he’s healthy. He was fine a second a-ago.” Logan sucked in his bottom lip to prevent more tears from cascading from his eyes.  
With much effort, Scott was able to grab Elizabeth’s hand and choke out a light whisper. “You look so beautiful, Baby Girl. Gorgeous.” He glanced over at Logan as if to say, ‘stay here’, as he was rested down on the stretcher that awaited him. “Daddy is going to walk you down that aisle, and I’ll still be waiting when the night’s over. But you gotta’ promise me you’ll enjoy yourself. And you,” he said towards her husband-to-be. “You treat my baby girl right, got it?”

The groom gave a respectful, quiet nod. “I promise.”

“And you,” Scott whispered up to Logan. “You come check upon me only after the wedding, understand?”

“N-no I can't...Please Scooter...” A tortured sob fell from Logan’s lips as his vision blurred and he squeezed Scott’s other hand and held Elizabeth close when he felt her knees start to shake. “I c-cant...You have to be here. You're her Daddy too, Love, and you need to be here to walk her down the aisle, right? "

Elizabeth nodded and squeezed Scott’s hand as she continued to cry and shake her head with makeup beginning to run, barely able to speak at all without sobs coming between her words. "D-daddy please... I-I don't wanna d-do this without you.”

They both stared into Scott’s dim eyes pleadingly, Logan’s heart starting to shatter at the sight of his little girl sobbing onto his chest at the sight of her weak father, laid out on the stretcher and pale from his sudden illness on her special day. Logan knew Scott was his angel who was trying to be the perfect dad just like always by trying to make everyone forget all about him when he needed help. “Please, Love. Stop trying to be the hero and let’s take you to the hospital…”

“Look at me. Come on, shush.” The mutant blinked and slid his hand into Logan’s. “I feel okay; just let me get checked out, Hon. I don’t know what that was, but I’m sure I'll be fine. However,” he whispered, rubbing his thumb over Logan’s knuckles, “The show must go on. I’m not going anywhere Sug'. The hospital and that’s it.” He gazed up at Elizabeth and opened his arms so she could give the hug she had been waiting to, then pulled away to wipe off a little bit of her running makeup with his thumb and tuck a loose strand of hair back behind her white veil. “You can do it, Sweetheart. This is your time to shine right here, okay? I'm going to be alright, I promise. But I'm only gonna be okay if I know for sure you went through with this wedding you worked so hard on. It means the world to you, and you mean the world to me.”

Logan brushed a strand of hair from Scott’s eyes and spoke in a calming, reassuring tone. There was no doubt he was on the verge of a breakdown, but now wasn’t the time. “I love you, Scott, you know that? I’ll bring back a crap ton of pictures for you to see when it’s over, I promise.” Giving him one last kiss on the lips, Logan stood beside his daughter as the stretcher was lifted into the ambulance, which immediately made way for the hospital.

Before they knew it, the ceremony and reception had finished. There had been laughs, tears, and the attempts to forget that a crisis was looming.

“You and Logan should go check up on your father,” the groom suggested towards the end of the night. “He’d love to see you, Babe.”

Elizabeth tucked her hair back behind her ear with a solemn nod before turning to Logan. “I just want to do one more thing…” Reaching out, she took her dad’s hand and pulled him onto the cleared dance floor. She held up her palm to his, interlacing their fingers and allowing her matching claws to slide out of her hands with a modest smile painted on her face. “Just like you,” she said as she observed the Adamantium blades extend and cross her own bone claws. “One last dance?” she requested as a slower song began to play.

“Anything for my beautiful little girl.” The two commenced dancing in silence, holding each other in a loving embrace as tears slid down their faces for the same reason. “I love you, Elizabeth.”

“I l-love you too Dad…”

\--------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Scott sat in waiting for his visitors. It was only a matter of hours before his husband and daughter burst through the door to his room.

“Dad!” Elizabeth grinned widely as she gave Scott a careful hug. The hospital room was a heartbreaking place, but fortunately her father appeared stable. “Are you alright?”

“There’s my grown up baby girl. I’m doing fine, but why are you here? You’re supposed to be enjoying your wedding night, Sweetie… Not sitting in a hospital.”

“Well, Laurie’s waiting outside to drive me back to-”

“And that’s where you should be, Sweetheart. I don’t want you staying here tonight. It’s not fit for a princess like you… Come back another time, Honey… I want you to go out and let Laurie take you home to your husband.”

Elizabeth didn’t wish to argue with her dad in such a state, so with a brief nod, she hugged him and kissed his cheek goodbye before making her way outside to the car.

The moment she left, Logan was kneeling by the side of the bed. He could smell Scott’s fear. The scent was so heavy it plagued his mind from thinking about anything else. “I… I brought you some pictures, Sugar…” Logan held out the camera and allowed Scott to scroll through the photos of the wedded couple and their friends and family. “Beautiful, right?”

“Beautiful ain’t the word, Logan.” Scott’s grin lasted only until he returned the camera to his husband’s hand. “But… I asked Logan to leave so I could tell… talk to you about…”

“What? About what?”

Scott’s eyes didn’t remain dry much longer than that. His lip began to quiver as he voiced the disturbing thought that he had been waiting to confess since his arrival in the hospital. “I-… It went unchecked and…” He took a moment to regain his composure. “It’s been growing for three years…”

Logan began to shake his head in denial. “No, no. Whatever it is, we can work it out-”

“It’s all cancer, Logan.”

“Scooter… That’s not funny…” Logan choked on an oncoming sob and shook his head rapidly.

The sight of his husband’s heartbreak was too much for Scott to bear. He didn’t believe something could ever sneak up like that without his detection. “I’m not… I’m not joking, Logan… It went from the liver to basically… everywhere. It’s not even a body in there anymore. It’s all falling a-apart now…”

“No, you’re lying. You’re lying!” As he brought his hand back to run it through his hair in frustration, Logan accidentally tipped over a cart of medical equipment, the sound sending him further into a rage. “God damn it all! Fucking ambulance takes fucking forever to show up! But it doesn’t matter, because no! You’re lying and this isn’t true!”

Scott’s voice was barely audible as he begged Logan for peace and quiet, pleading for him to stop yelling with any energy he had left. “Logan…”

“Please tell me that…” It was impossible for this man to believe the love of his life was on the road to death with no reverse. There was no way that the body he had held and made love to so many times had already reached its expiration date. It simply wasn’t possible. There was no way that Scott’s perfect, creamy flesh was withering away on the inside. No, it was only yesterday that the two had said their own vows. Logan decided something was wrong. There was no way the same man that he’d forced to dress up like a Disney prince all those years ago was on the verge of death.

“S-stop, please… I’m not lying to you…”

“Fucking NO!” The Wolverine fell to his knees at the bedside, listening to his forehead hit the wall in desperation that this sick, cruel joke would be over when he woke up. How was he supposed to live without Scott? He had grown so used to the lack of nightmares and placing the glasses on Scott’s eyes when they decided it was time to wake up. All those nights spent pressed together, the contours of their warm bodies exchanging warmth over the surface of the skin, and the solid thumping of their hearts, would all be gone if Scott couldn’t be saved. “You can’t leave me, Hon,” he declared in a melancholy tone as his face remained pressed to the wall. He had protected his lover from mutant protestors, sentinels, and the bird of fire, yet somehow, something still found a way to ruin everything. “Please,” he gasped, “not my baby…”

“Logan, please... Sugar.” Scott reached down weakly and cupped his lover’s somewhat shaven cheek, turning his head to himself while looking down from the bed into sad, dark eyes that resembled those of a wolf who had just lost his mate. His heart pounded in an overwhelming way at the sight of someone so unbreakable, so broken. “Sugar... There's nothing we can do... Please, calm down.”

When Logan looked at Scott, all he could think of was how much his lover resembled his younger self, just aged a bit. He could imagine Scott’s smile and bright blue eyes while they made love or kissed, and said their vows.

“I can't lose you. I can't live without you Scotty. You know that.” Logan rested his hand over Scott’s on his own cheek, feeling more tears spill from his eyes at the gentle contact, only sobbing harder and more uncontrollably. Memories of the best thirty years of Logan’s entire life flashed before his eyes. He climbed onto the bed besides Scott and looked into his eyes, Logan’s own brown one’s turning red from irritation and tears. Their brown depths met Scott’s blue ones, revealing how lost in life Logan would be without his love. Here they finally were, and Logan’s treasure was about to be taken from him like a thief in the night. Both men just stared, trying not to sob or cry and just silently letting the tears stream down their cheeks, looking into each other’s eyes and remembering all of the passionate nights together. The gentle touches and the tender trails of kisses along with the whispers of love and hope for the future seemed so recent. They had a dream that it could all come true and now that Scott was on the verge of death, it was all going to fall into oblivion. Logan promised to love his husband forever, and he intended to keep that promise no matter what. But he wanted to be able to love him and tell him how he felt to his lover’s face, not at a gravestone. It seemed as if the dreams of happily ever after were crumbling into a miserable failure. “Don’t leave me, Scooter…”

Scott began to wonder how much time was left in his bank. “Don’t you ever stop fighting for what we’ve worked on together all our lives. The students and the school and everything else in between… Don’t you dare let that go. Because you’re crazy if you think I’m letting you go. Maybe this is just a new chapter in the story. Maybe when we meet up you can show me how your mom taught you to play piano.”

Logan suddenly realized that Scott had removed his contacts. His beams were absent, and as he stared into the blue depths, he could observe the tiny fireworks of red lodged within that died out before they even had a chance to grow. “What am I going to do without my Angel, though?”

“You still have our kids, and I’m still here, James…”

“Scott, I love you and please never forget that, ever...you'll always be my one and only love and I'm sorry for all the times I was an ass to you when you didn't deserve it...I regret every time I ever raised my voice at you or made you feel like you're anything less than the perfect husband and father you are. I promise you I'll take care of all of em'. All of our angels...they're gonna be heartbroken.” He shook his head with a large inhale of breath before speaking softly and watching the small flickers of red light that left his lover’s eyes. “I want to go with you. I told you a million times that I'd be willing to give up my curse if it means being with you. Be damned sure I'll see you there as soon as I know our babies don't need me anymore and,” he laughed at the same time as a weep choked him up, “I'll teach you how to play myself, Love. I'm gonna miss you. I’m gonna’ miss you so so much.”

“I love you too, Logan... And I’m sorry for all the times I acted like you weren't a good daddy to our babies. You were amazing and you still are. You've come such a long way with the nightmares. Really, it’s amazing. I’m sorry we had those distant few years, I never meant for that to happen. F-funny thing is, I still remember the day we first-... God, it was beautiful.” Scott wrapped his arms around Logan and held his waist just like every other night in their bed at home. “I’m going to sleep now, so I'll see you in the morning, Sugar.” Scott drifted off almost too easily, but he was beyond exhausted. After rocking him lightly to bring him better dreams, Logan began to drift off and have a vision of his own.

He dreamt of the day they first met, how they hated each other but really, it was hidden love; He dreamt of his husband’s impeccable smile, his perfect, smooth flesh pressed against his own. He heard Scott’s voice, his laughs, his cries, his "I hate you’s” and “I love you’s”. He heard the first cries of Elizabeth as a baby, and the bike rides together through the endless autumn forest surrounding the school. The dream ended in a flash of blue eyes and red light, along with the sight of a kiss between two familiar pairs of lips, and when the sun rose in the morning, the only heartbeat breaking the silence in the room was Logan’s own.

“Scooter, time to get up,” Logan whispered groggily as he opened his eyes, giving the back of his husband’s neck a gentle kiss. He froze. The skin was cold. The body was limp, but still embracing him. “Come on, time to get up now.” Logan searched for a heartbeat, but found nothing. Surely he would wake up again. Dying wasn’t a real thing, either. Yet the monitors showed no heart rate, no sign of life. A solid minute passed of Logan staring directly down at the pale face that once smiled. He stared at the lips that once kissed, at the closed eyes that saved the world, and at the body that had once loved. Silent noises escaped his parted lips as he kissed Scott’s cheeks, whispering his name after each touch. When he could no longer accept silence, Logan let out a ferocious howl of agony with emotions running berserk. He yelled out and rolled off the bed, maintaining a fetal position as he shrieked in heartbreak and scratched at the walls with his fingernails until they bled. Hadn’t they just returned from their honeymoon in Canada? Hadn’t they just cuddled by the fire, slept under the stars, and laid out on the rocks after a dip in the crystal clear lake? The nurses must have heard the cries of distress, because they rushed into the room in no time and confirmed the death of Logan’s husband. One began to drape the blanket over his body, causing Logan’s animal instincts to manifest. “Don’t touch him!” He let out a menacing growl and struggled to keep his claws in. They wanted out, but soon the man came to his senses.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” the nurse whispered.

“No, no. He is not gone.” Logan’s hands were shaking as he lifted the sheet up and stared down to Scott’s drained, pale features. He would always be handsome. Leaning down, Logan stole one last kiss from his love’s dead lips while running his thumb over the tattoo that said ‘James’ in cursive on Scott’s thigh.

  _“I could so get a tattoo. Why not?”_

_“You would be bawling like a baby, Honey,” Logan taunted. Scott accepted the challenge and dragged them both to the tattoo parlor, where he asked to have the letters written on his upper inner thigh. It was originally supposed to be in an even more sensitive region, but Logan backed out on that one since he didn’t want anyone else poking at Scott’s area._

_“You see any tears, James?” Scott smirked as the tattoo artist began inking the skin with a whirring needle. There were no tears in the shop, but the moment they got in the car? Well, that was another story._

When Logan returned home, nobody dared to speak to him. They observed in silence as he made his way up to what used to be their room, which was now only his. After shutting the door behind him, the feral ran his hands lightly over anything in the room that belonged to Scott. All of the pictures, possessions, and clothing were reminders of what had been lost. Up until the funeral, Logan had made himself comfortable on Scott’s side of the bed, unmoving while surrounded by his husband’s clothes, books, photo albums, costumes and uniforms. He used a mound of Scott’s shirts as a pillow so that the scent kept the nightmares away.

In fact, when it came to the funeral, Logan was unable to look at his own daughter as she tried to get his attention. She looked too much like Scott. Her eyes and nose and her slim figure… It was all too much. She could barely get her father up and dressed, never mind getting him to eat. Even though the funeral was outside on the property of the mansion, it seemed like too long a walk. In fact, Logan only left his room because Snowflake Jr., the little kitten left over from the kitten Logan had gotten Scott for his birthday one year, had pawed his nose until he was forced to get up. Logan couldn’t decide if he hated or loved the little rat with fur. For Scott’s sake, he would love it.

Logan was the last to walk up to the casket. Earlier, he was unable to read what he had written down, so Megan went up and read it for him. Her wings drooped in despair through the entire thing, and even she started to cry in the middle of it. Rogue had to step in and help out.

“I love you, Sugar…” Logan’s tears were silent to the point that no sound could escape his mouth. “I’m gonna’ meet you up there someday, I promise. We’ll play the piano, and I’ll bring up the prince costume and make you wear it even if you don’t wanna. I could go on forever, Scooter… But all I know I need to say is that the best decision of my life was grabbing you and kissing you to make you my own that night all those years ago. And now you’re in a safe place… so just be patient for me. I think maybe God can forgive me this time for all the things I’ve done in the past to let me stay with you. Put in a good word for me, will ya’? Thanks, Scotty. Thank you for everything.” With one last look at his husband, who was dressed in the same tux he wore on his wedding, Logan immediately returned to his dwelling upstairs.

Amongst all the open drawers with belongings strewn everywhere, Logan caught sight of something he must have missed before. There was a book rested at the bottom of the drawer Scott used to keep his practice uniforms in. Instinctively, Logan picked it up and opened the cover.

It was a book Scott must’ve had for years and kept adding to. On the first few pages, there was a photo of a family standing in the snow with two boys, one brunette with blue eyes, the other blonde, and their two parents hugging them tightly. The brunette boy was Scott. Next, a picture of a teenage boy in bright red glasses standing before the newly opened School for Gifted Youngsters. Logan watched Scott grow from a boy to a fine young man in the photos, and soon began to see himself in the images as well. He saw a grumpy Scott being forced into a prince costume, both of them eventually roaring with laughter. There was a picture of them holding hands as they lay in the grass underneath the sentimental row of cherry trees in the garden. Photos of the wedding day, the first passionate kiss that signified marriage, and a picture of with the new Baby, Elizabeth showed up as well. From her first Christmas, to her infant days, to her trying to walk and falling into our arms, to her first day of school. Eventually, photos of two of babies running around and playing tag on the lawn began to pop up. Logan saw their first prom dates, their graduations from high school and college. There were empty places marked, "Elizabeth's Wedding", and then towards the end the pictures became more intimate. Photos of Logan and his young husband kissing, of Scott pulling him in for a kiss while they held each other as close as physically possible. The final picture was of their entire family- Snowflake and kittens included. Taped on the side was the paper plane Scott had flown to Logan after a bitter argument. "I hate fighting... Dinner tonight? –Scooter." He had even taped the song lyrics to one of their favorite songs in the corner. Goodbye, brown eyes. Goodbye, my love. I can’t hide, can’t hide what has come. I have to go, I have to go, I have to go, and leave you alone. But always know, always know, always know, that I love you so. I love you so. And in script at the bottom of the page:

"Thanks for the Adventure! Now, go have a new one."  
-Scooter

Another one of Logan’s thousands of tears dripped onto the final page, a hopeful smile coming to his lips. “Who ever said our adventure was over?”


End file.
